Nagaland CM calls on architects to blend safety, sustainability and Naga identity

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has called on architects in the state to take the lead in promoting safe, sustainable and locally inspired architecture, highlighting the sector’s vital role in driving employment and economic growth.

Speaking as the Guest of Honour at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Association of Nagaland Architects (ANA) held under the theme “Celebrating Community, Nurturing Creativity” in Chümoukedima, Rio said safety and sustainability must remain central to architectural practice. He encouraged architects to blend innovation with cultural identity, creating designs that are both functional and rooted in Naga heritage.

“Architects are not just designers of buildings; they are custodians of our heritage, interpreters of our culture, and visionaries of our future,” Rio said, urging the profession to shape spaces that reflect Nagaland’s ethos while embracing modern technology.

The chief minister inaugurated an exhibition of home and décor materials before addressing the gathering. Reflecting on ANA’s early efforts to introduce development controls and building bye-laws in the state, he said those initiatives laid the groundwork for “organised, safe, and sustainable urban growth”.

Rio lauded the association’s growth into a professional body of over 120 registered architects serving across government, private, and entrepreneurial sectors. He also underscored the economic significance of the construction industry, describing it as Nagaland’s “largest employment engine”.

Acknowledging the state’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Rio reminded the audience that Nagaland falls under “Earthquake Zone 5”, stressing that safety cannot be compromised. He appealed to ANA to train and empower local youth, engineers, masons, and artisans in modern and eco-friendly construction techniques.

“By empowering our local workforce, you are not just constructing buildings; you are constructing careers and strengthening our economy,” he said.

Rio urged the architectural community to continue its mission with renewed purpose — to innovate responsibly, mentor the next generation, and build a resilient Nagaland that is “beautiful, sustainable, and proud of its identity”.

Council of Architecture (India) member Dr Gauri Nitin Shiurkar also addressed the event, describing Nagaland as “a living laboratory of sustainable and cultural architecture”. She emphasised the importance of blending traditional wisdom with contemporary design technologies.

The celebration paid tribute to the late C. Yantsushan Murry, Nagaland’s first architect, along with other pioneers who laid the foundation for the profession in the state.